Runaway Bride
by wrightwritesalot
Summary: When the one and only Dragon Lord seeks to claim Jounouchi for his own bride, what will he do? Especially when his only allies, Yugi and his liege Yami, agree to the whole thing. The only answer is to go on the run. A.U. KaiJou.
1. Chapter 1

_A weary and harried young woman from one of the wolf tribes made her way into the courtroom of the king. Everyone went silent as they realized she was pregnant, but few of them noticed the three-year-old following behind her._

 _Everyone in the room gasped as the woman removed the hood of her cloak. She was the daughter of one of the Wolf Lords; one that had disappeared four years ago under mysterious circumstances. The King rose to his feet and descended from his throne to meet the young woman as she made her way up the center aisle._

" _Young Ms. Kawai, I had not expected to see you here tonight." The King was a master at understatements. It was quite apparent that no one had expected the young woman there; everyone had thought her dead years ago._

 _The young woman fell to her knees, the King reaching her just in time to catch her. She looked up at him tears gathering in his eyes. The room was so quiet that even the young woman's soft voice carried. "Asylum."_

 _The king knit his eyebrows together and looked towards the chief of his guard. The man made a signal and guards moved towards the entrances of the room; preparing for the worst. "Ms. Kawai, why would you need asylum? Your father and his tribe have long been our allies."_

 _The woman drew a deep breath, preparing for the words that were to follow. "I no longer belong to my father's house." She choked back a sob, and restrained the tears that threatened to pour down her face._

" _Dear Lady, what has happened to you these past years? My records have not been amended to notate your marriage into another Lord's house."_

" _There was not marriage, but I do not belong to his house all the same. One of Dragon Lord Kaiba's sentinels took me for his mate. I finally had a chance to escape." The young woman reliving the horrors of the past four years finally broke and began to cry. The king, who had at one time courted the young woman gathered her to him to comfort her._

 _Finally, the child who had quietly stood back this entire time could do so no longer. He came rushing forward the sight of his mother's tears. "Mama. Mama, don't cry. Mama." The king's head shot up as he finally took notice of the child. He knew immediately which of the sentinels had taken the young woman; the child looked exactly like one of Gozaburo's minions. The only thing that the child had from his mother were his eyes._

 _The young woman pulled herself together and looked at the boy. "Jounouchi. Jounouchi, my little one, don't worry. This one is the King of our land, and he is my friend. He's the one I told you about when we ran away."_

 _The child withdrew and scrutinized the man before him; holding his gaze and trying his best to be intimidating. Jounouchi must have seen something that reassured him about the King because he lowered his eyes and stepped into his mother's embrace._

 _With her child reassured she turned to the King. "Aknamkanon my son is dragon born, in all manners; and you know that they will chase me for him. He has a gentle heart. For the love you once bore me, please take him. Protect him in my place."_

 _The King stared at the young woman before him. Why would she ask this of him and not her father? Surely the wolves would be more than welcoming to a dragon born of their blood. "Why have you not asked your father's house, this request?"_

 _She dropped her head. "My father rules in name only. My brother, the son of his second wife, will soon be in power. I will not leave my son in his care." That would explain it. The children of the current Lady of the Wolf Clan were all self-serving, and a boy child would only be seen as competition for the title that they all coveted._

" _What of you?" The woman smiled. "I do not believe that I will live past this birth, but the child I will bear is a girl. A wolf born girl." The King bowed his head in thought. If he agreed to take them in, he would have two children aside from his own son to care for; to pit himself against a Dragon Lord of unmistakable power for. But the women before him had once been the holder of his heart; he could not, and would not leave her children to suffer._

" _This is my decree. I offer you Asylum as the daughter of my great ally and friend. I will care for and protect your son. As for you, you will stay here for the duration of your pregnancy. If you do not live past it, I will find a noble family of wolves to foster her; one strong and willing enough to resist your half siblings should they want her. If you live past this pregnancy, I will renew my courtship of you; this will ensure the safety of you and yours entirely."_

 _With that the King rose, bringing the young woman with him. He summoned a young woman from his court to take her and see to her comfort. He summoned his own son's caretaker to care for the boy, and for that night all was done._

 _In the coming months, the Jounouchi proved to be a bright, happy, and overall charming child. He was competitive enough to keep the young prince entertained but gentle and friendly enough that he never frightened the caretaker's grandson; of whom the prince was fiercely protective._

 _Then the day of childbirth came and the young woman's predictions came true. She did not make it through the delivery and the King grieved at the loss of his youth's love. Shortly after Jounouchi's father came to claim him, and when that failed he stole him away in the dead of the night._

 _He spent three years trapped with his father, before the King's negotiations to have him returned were set in place. By the time, he had been returned to the palace his sister had been fostered with a noble family of wolves and Jounouchi looked like a feral wolf pup. Everyone in the palace attempted to draw the boy form his fearful guard, but in the end, it was the caretaker's shy and quiet grandson, Yugi, who succeeded. After that they were never far apart from each other, and the Prince lessened his almost obsessive protectiveness over the younger boy._

 _One year later, the Dragon Lord Gozaburo Kaiba incited a rebellion. It was squelched, but left the King dying of mortal wounds. The royal guard captured the Dragon Lord himself in the battle and held him for three years to keep any further attempts for the throne from happening._

 _On the Prince's twelfth birthday his coronation was held, and the boy began planning for the official response to his father's murder. Within the next week, he issued a summons for Gozaburo's eldest son to appear before the throne._

 _When the boy, the same age as the new King himself, appeared before the courts, the charges against his father were laid out before him. The young Kaiba met the charges with an icy gaze._

" _Your Majesty." All the movement in the room ceased as the boy began to speak._

" _Your Majesty, I agree entirely in each charge laid against my so-called father. I also agree with your assessment for the appropriate punishment. The only change I would like to make with your decision is that I am the one to carry it out."_

 _The young King inclined his head towards his counterpart. "And why would we allow this. You are barley more than twelve years. Not only would he kill you but we would be without a Dragon Lord for your territory and be forced to find another for it."_

 _His response was a sardonic smirk. "Your Majesty, I have been a Dragon Lord in my own right since I was nine years. Aside from that fact, the only way for me to fill the role that would be necessary for you is to overthrow the previous Dragon Lord, my 'father', myself."_

 _The new King assessed the self-professed Dragon Lord before him. "And what assurances can you give me that this is a good idea." His only response for a small time was that same smirk._

" _Aside from my assurances, I am more than willing to give a demonstration." The young Kaiba watched as an older man came forward to whisper in the King's ear. The King shook his head, and it appeared to all that he did not agree with his council's advice._

" _My advisors tell me that this is not a wise decision. That you seek only retribution for how your 'father' treated you." As he spoke the word 'father', the King inclined his head towards the boy in front of him as a recognition of his dislike for the term._

" _My instincts however tell me differently. You will give us a private demonstration after the evening meal. After that we will enter into negotiations to determine whether this will be allowed or not." With that the new King rose and left his court. That night the young Kaiba gave his demonstration, and with the negotiations that followed he was given the right to challenge his 'father'._

 _The succession of Dragon Lords has always been a public affair, but typically the successor is trained by his predecessor and the fight is non-lethal. This one however was an execution. A successful one. Kaiba returned home a fully-fledged Dragon Lord, the master of his territory, a hero to most, and enemy to the few who loved his father and his reign of tyranny._

 _In the years to follow several changes were made. The new King, Yami, reigned with a firm but fair hand, and for the most part the people loved him. After Jounouchi's uncles gained control over the Wolf Clan, it was no longer viewed as a Power or an ally to the Throne._

 _Kaiba led what was for all purposes a culling of his forces. He put in place rules for those that were Dragon Born, and killed those that would not toe the line. After that he quickly took over the other Dragon Lords' territories and brought them under the reign of his new laws. Under his leadership, the Dragon clans unified and rose from being the unruly subjects of the crown to their most valuable allies._

 _It was decided that Yugi would be Yami's consort once he came of age, and the council began grooming him for the position._

 _Jounouchi studied with Yugi and the palace guards; learning everything that a nobleman and a warrior could ever need to know._

 _It wasn't until Jounouchi and Yugi were sixteen years of age that an announcement that was startling to both was made. One that so enraged Jounouchi that he ran from the palace, leaving the only loving home he had ever known behind._


	2. Chapter 2

Jounouchi was furious. He couldn't believe what was happening. How could the two of the people the most in the world just sell him out like that. They knew that he absolutely detested the Dragon Lord, so how in the world could they entertain this marriage proposal. It was betrayal, just flat out betrayal.

So, his revenge? He would take everything they had taught him growing up and use it to escape this cruel fate they had planned for him. He had made it far enough outside of the King's forest that it was safe to stop and find some food to eat.

He had been foraging for nuts and greens all along the way, so all he had to do was find some game to hunt. He set up a temporary camp, got his belonging up off the ground, and set out to find something to hunt.

He was only about five minutes away from his camp when he heard a rustling. As he approached the source of the noise, he saw the tip of a wing. It must be a bird. As the rustling grew still, Jounouchi crept closer and pounced on his prey but was rewarded with a face full of claws and a disgruntled squawk.

He and his prey went tumbling through the brush, until Jounouchi came out on top and was able to get a good look at what he had caught. It was not a bird. It was a young dragon; in dragon form. Obviously, he couldn't eat another person, but he had to make sure that this little dragon wasn't going to go running back and report him as a suspicious person to the Dragon Lord.

A short while later, Jounouchi had managed to calm the little dragon down enough to see that his wing was injured. He was such a little thing. Jounouchi couldn't just leave him to suffer; something had to be done to help the poor guy. "Hey little Buddy. I'm sorry that I tackled you like that. I was looking for something to eat and I thought you were a bird. I promise I won't eat you or anything"

The little dragon stared Jounouchi down, assessing the situation. Suddenly, the little dragon's eyes lit up, and he began speaking all in a tumble; in just a little too much of a hurry to get his story told. "Katsuya it's you! What are you doing here? I thought you went to live in the Palace. Where they mean to you? Did you have to run away? Big Brother will be so happy to see you! Do you have time to come home with me? Are you on your way somewhere?"

"Woah, Woah, Woah! Short stuff, slow down. What are you talking about, huh?" The little dragon cocked his head in confusion. Then almost as if a lightbulb went off, he smiled. Next thing Jounouchi knew there was a short pre-teen, with long untamed black hair that hung past his waist, standing before him.

The kid smiled at him. "Do you remember me now, Katsuya?"

Jounouchi started. "Hey kid, what did you call me? How did you know that name?" This was unbelievable. The only people that had ever called Jounouchi by his given name were the dragons that he had lived with when his father had taken him away.

"Katsuya, don't you remember me? I'm your little munchkin, Mokuba. You used to save me all the time when I'd get in trouble with the Sentinels." The kid's eyes started to tear up. He looked like he was truly heartbroken that Jounouchi didn't remember him; but he did.

Jounouchi tried awfully hard to forget almost everything that had happened while he was in his father's care, but he could never forget the two orphaned dragons. They had been given an even harder time then he had, and for no reason whatsoever. In Jou's case it had all been under the guise of toughening him up for his future role as a Sentinel. Theirs had just been pure cruelty.

"Mokie? Is that really you?" Jounouchi stared at the kid unbelieving. The two of them, Mokuba and his brother, had disappeared before Yami's father had saved Jounouchi. He had been told that some Dragon Lord had come and adopted them, because he saw great potential in Seto.

"Yep! It's me Katsuya. How come you didn't remember me? I got worried for a second. I thought that I was in the clutches of some complete stranger. You know big brother would be very upset if he thought I had been in trouble."

Jounouchi chuckled. Seto would indeed be worried about his little brother. He could remember much about the older boy, he hadn't spent much time with him; but, he could remember that Seto was fiercely protective of his younger brother. That and those blue, blue eyes. They had always lit up every time Seto smiled or laughed. Something he had done very rarely; but had left a profound impression on everyone who saw it. Jounouchi had, once upon a time, had a small crush on the solemn boy, but Seto had been too busy playing hero for him and Mokuba to spend much time with him.

"That he would, shrimp, that he would. What's your big brother doing now a days?" Mokuba's face split into a large grin. He was very proud of his big brother and loved to brag about him.

"He's a Dragon Lord now! He's the very best, and the strongest!" Mokuba was bouncing on his toes, clearly excited. Jounouchi grinned at the boy, enjoying his excitement and pride in his older brother. What he wouldn't give for his own little sister to be that proud of him.

"That's amazing, munchkin! I always knew your big brother was going to be a big deal. It must suck being in _the_ Dragon Lord's court though. Can't imagine wanting to be stuck with that ass for too long." Mokuba tilted his head in confusion. Didn't Jounouchi know who Seto was?

After quickly thinking about everything the pieces fell into place. Jounouchi had never spent an exorbitant amount of time alone with Seto. Plus, he had left shortly after Gozaburo had taken them. Seto had told Mokuba that their 'father' hadn't allowed Jounouchi to be told what had happened to them; then Jounouchi had been taken back to the palace and Gozaburo had started planning his rebellion.

Seto had been outraged when Jounouchi had been taken from the Citadel. He had destroyed three rooms, and had nearly killed four of the weaker dragons in his rage. That was when he had been nine. Now that Seto was older he was even stronger; and he was supposed to be on his way to discuss marriage negotiations with Yami, for Jounouchi. And here was Jounouchi. This was not good. Seto is going to explode; that is, unless Mokuba could get Jounouchi back to the Citadel before his brother got home.

"Yeah, you know dragons can be really annoying; plus, they only get more frustrating the more powerful they get. All those power plays and territorial disputes. Seto has to deal with a lot of them. He's pretty high up on the food chain." Mokuba watched Jounouchi absorb everything he had just said and wondered if he had given away too much information.

Jounouchi just smiled at his friend. "You really love your brother, don't you kid?" Mokuba jumped up and down and nodded.

The two continued to chat. Jounouchi taught Mokuba how to set a bait trap, and they finally caught some food, ate lunch, and packed up the temporary camp.

"Alright, kiddo. So where are you supposed to be right now? We should get you home before your brother notices that you're gone and tears everything apart looking for you." Mokuba's head shot around. Could it really be that easy? Was Jounouchi really willing to just march straight to his home? It was a good thing, that he was supposed to be at the training camp right now. Jounouchi would remember the Citadel for sure.

"It's about 3 miles west of here. I'm supposed to be at one of the training camps practicing my high flying. That's how I got hurt. I lost the updraft and clipped my wing on one of the Pines on my way down." Jounouchi flinched. With a Mokuba's dragon form still so small gliding was about one of the only ways he could sustain high altitudes out of the wind, but that meant he was susceptible to the warm spots in the air.

"Well no worries. I'll make sure you get back safe and sound. Let's head out!" Jounouchi lead the way, eventually perching the younger boy on his shoulders to give him a break.

As they broke from the edge of the forest, shouts reached Jounouchi's ears. His eyes widened as men came running towards them. These must be men in charge of taking care of Mokuba. Everything happened so fast; Mokuba was woken up and taken away from Jounouchi, the men, who were indeed the men in charge of teaching and guarding Mokuba, captured Jounouchi, threw him in an interior room of the compound. One that he couldn't escape.

After what seemed like hours and several failed escape attempts Mokuba came to visit Jounouchi. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Katsuya. I should have thought about how they would react to someone they didn't know coming into camp. But I did manage to get them not to go straight to the Dragon Lord. Instead I can break it to Big Brother and let him deal with everything."

Mokuba looked up hopefully at Jounouchi. Surely, he wouldn't be furious once everything was said and done. "So. So they aren't going to let me out anytime soon." He said it more as a statement than a question. He looked at Mokuba with a question in his eyes and Mokuba rushed to answer it.

"Don't worry Katsuya, Big Brother will be here soon. He notified Ryou, my teacher, that he was leaving early and would be back in about three hours. That was almost three hours ago, so he should be getting back any minute." Mokuba looked at Jounouchi with hope in his eyes. Begging him not to be angry with him; Jounouchi sighed. He really was a push over.

"Fine, munchkin. Whatever you say. Just make sure he knows that I'm on the run. Surely me helping you out will put me enough in his good graces that he'll help me get to wolf territory." Mokuba's eyes got wide. That would never happen. Seto would never give Jounouchi up to the wolves. But Mokuba didn't have to tell that Jounouchi; he could figure it out on his own.

"Sure, no problem. I'll make sure that big brother knows the situation." As soon as the words left Mokuba's mouth the entire compound shook. Both of their heads shot up and then towards the door; they heard footsteps approaching them rapidly.

The young man that entered the room, was small. A thin almost albino looking blond, he gave no physical presence but resonated with magical power. He reminded Jounouchi of Yugi. He looked between the two of them, recognition dawning in his eyes at the sight of Jounouchi, but turned his gaze to Mokuba while speaking.

"Young Master, your elder brother has arrived back from his business. He is in a foul mood and I think you are the only one who can calm him." The compound shook again and the three of them looked around the room; checking for damage.

Mokuba smiled and nodded his head. "Sure, no problem Ryou. I'll make sure that Seto doesn't knock the place down." With that Mokuba bounced, literally bounced, out of the room. Ryou turned a strained smile at Jounouchi, bowed, and closed the door behind him. It infuriated him. He couldn't hear a thing going on. He had no idea what was happening outside of this room.

The walls shook one more time and then stilled. Jounouchi waited for the next wave to come but it never did, not in the same wave. The next 'wave' that Jounouchi felt was one of gentle magic; searching magic. It curled around him and warmed him to his core; making him feel safer and less on guard then he had in a long time.

All of a sudden, the magic was gone, and Jounouchi was left cold. Everything was silent, dead silent. He couldn't help but shiver at the change in the air around him. Then he heard footsteps heading his way. He kept waiting for the footsteps to veer off. To take one of the hallways he had heard others go down the entire time he had been here, but they didn't. They just kept coming closer and closer, and with them they brought a sense of doom with them.


End file.
